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Average public administration major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$73,065

What is the average public administration major salary in the US?

The national average salary for a public administration major graduate in the United States is $73,065 per year or $35.13 per hour.While the top 10 percent make over $139,000 per year, the bottom 10 percent make under $38,000.professional companies and technology companies have the most job opportunities for public administration major graduates.States with the highest salaries for public administration major graduates include New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Washington.
Best paying cities
$89,545
$85,837
$85,214

Average public administration salary by company

Public administration major graduates can expect good job security. However, some industries pay higher than others.The most abundant employment opportunities for public administration majors are in professional companies and technology companies.The two companies that report the highest salaries for public administration major graduates are Kronos Incorporated and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.In addition, companies like SpecialCounsel and Cedars-Sinai report highly competitive salaries for public administration majors.

Average public administration major salary by city

Public administration major graduates in the US make an average salary of $73,065 per year or $35.13 per hour.San Francisco, CA reports the highest annual salary for public administration majors at 89,545.The San Francisco, CA average entry-level salary for public administration majors is $48,000.Washington, DC, New York, NY, Hartford, CT, Des Moines, WA, Boston, MA, and Baltimore, MD also have great salaries for public administration major graduates.New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Washington are the states with the highest payscale for public administration major graduates.Montana, South Carolina, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Mississippi are at the bottom for competitive pay.

Average salary by location

RankCityAverage public administration salarySalary range
1San Francisco, CA
$89,545
$46k
$124k
2Washington, DC
$85,837
$46k
$124k
3New York, NY
$85,214
$46k
$124k
4Hartford, CT
$80,094
$46k
$124k
5Des Moines, WA
$79,030
$46k
$124k
6Boston, MA
$76,775
$46k
$124k
7Baltimore, MD
$75,501
$46k
$124k
8Richmond, VA
$74,260
$46k
$124k
9Las Vegas, NV
$73,215
$46k
$124k
10Philadelphia, PA
$71,617
$46k
$124k
11Albany, OR
$71,137
$46k
$124k
12Chicago, IL
$71,096
$46k
$124k
13Cleveland, OH
$69,662
$46k
$124k
14Phoenix, AZ
$69,272
$46k
$124k
15San Antonio, TX
$68,559
$46k
$124k
16Detroit, MI
$68,096
$46k
$124k
17Saint Paul, MN
$67,009
$46k
$124k
18Raleigh, NC
$65,917
$46k
$124k
19Denver, CO
$65,170
$46k
$124k
20Milwaukee, WI
$64,446
$46k
$124k

Average public administration major salary by state

The darker areas on the map show where public administration majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average salary

Public administration major average salary by state

StateAverage public administration major salaryAverage hourly rate
New York$84,909$40.82
New Jersey$84,762$40.75
California$84,414$40.58
Connecticut$80,425$38.67
Washington$78,368$37.68
Massachusetts$76,918$36.98
Delaware$75,980$36.53
Rhode Island$75,609$36.35
Maryland$75,353$36.23
Virginia$74,401$35.77
Nevada$73,697$35.43
New Hampshire$71,505$34.38
Pennsylvania$70,971$34.12
Illinois$70,957$34.11
Oregon$70,678$33.98
Alaska$69,449$33.39
Arizona$69,236$33.29
Ohio$68,278$32.83
Vermont$68,241$32.81
Texas$67,954$32.67
Michigan$67,836$32.61
Minnesota$66,985$32.20
New Mexico$66,166$31.81
West Virginia$65,719$31.60
North Dakota$65,295$31.39
Colorado$65,272$31.38
North Carolina$64,877$31.19
Hawaii$64,436$30.98
Wisconsin$64,271$30.90
Maine$63,505$30.53
Georgia$62,747$30.17
Iowa$61,982$29.80
Utah$61,211$29.43
Idaho$61,147$29.40
Indiana$60,844$29.25
Missouri$60,821$29.24
Kentucky$60,583$29.13
Alabama$60,304$28.99
Louisiana$60,126$28.91
Kansas$59,806$28.75
South Dakota$59,710$28.71
Florida$59,538$28.62
Tennessee$59,381$28.55
Nebraska$59,360$28.54
Montana$59,149$28.44
South Carolina$58,841$28.29
Wyoming$58,786$28.26
Arkansas$56,414$27.12
Mississippi$55,444$26.66
Oklahoma$54,492$26.20

Average public administration major salary by industry

Wages for public administration major graduates can differ based on the industry they work in.By looking at our data, we can see that health care companies, professional companies, and finance companies pay public administration major graduates well.Salaries for public administration major graduates in health care companies average $89,146 annually, while professional companies and finance companies pay $85,276 and $82,698, respectively.The average public administration major salary in the government industry is lower than the rest, coming in at $63,877.

Average salary by industry

RankIndustryAverage public administration major salaryRange
1
Health Care
$89,146
$48k
$120k
2
Professional
$85,276
$48k
$120k
3
Finance
$82,698
$48k
$120k
4
Technology
$77,226
$48k
$120k
5
Hospitality
$74,509
$48k
$120k
6
Manufacturing
$70,339
$48k
$120k
7
Retail
$69,978
$48k
$120k
8
Government
$63,877
$48k
$120k

Salary history for public administration major graduates

This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Public Administration major graduates.

Salaries for related majors

RankMajorAverage salaryRange
1Public Policy Analysis
$60,367
$30k
$85k
2Community Organization And Advocacy
$59,787
$30k
$85k
3Social Work
$44,906
$30k
$85k
4Human Services
$38,481
$30k
$85k